Wood-bending machine



(No Model.)

A. -LUCUMJTPTI 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Woon BENDING ',MACHINB.

Patented Aug. 2, j1881.

p A l mm AEl (No Model.) i s A I ZSheets-Sheet y A. LUCKHAUPT.

vWoon BENDING MACHINE. Y

Patented` Aug. 2,1881.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM LUOKHAUPT, OF oOLUMnUs, OHIO.

wooo-BENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,187, dated August 2, 1881. Application filed June 7, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ADAM LUGKHAUPT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, Franklin county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wood-Bending Machines, of which the following is a speci- My invention relates to machines for bend- 'ing wood, such as barrel-staves, wheel-fellies,

85o., its object being to prevent overstrainin g and breaking the outer fibers of the wood, and at the same time to facilitate the operation and economize the time and power employed.

To this end my invention consists yin the mechanism hereinafter described, as organized for continuous operation, and in the combination, construction, and arrangement of certain parts `in detail, as more particularly pointed out a-nd claimed.

My invention is embodied in mechanism illustrated in drawings accompanying and illustratiugthis specication, similarletters of crosstemA of levers and blocks, by which the stave is bent upward around'a form secured upon the frame.

Theframe consists ot' two uprigh t stanchions, AA', stepped into a base-piece, A2, from which they,` are laterally supported by diagonallyplaced struts A3, and connected at the top by abrace, A4. Infront of the main stanchion A is' a table, B, rising to a convenient height and supported on legs b from the base A2.

At the upperpart of the frame is journalcd a crank-shaft, C, driven by a spur-wheel aud pinion, c c', from a counter-shaft, D, journaled below itl in the frame. A belt-pulley,d, at the rear extremity of the counter-shaft, receives the drivin g-power, which is communicated by the spur-gearing to the crank-shaft c, to the forward extremity of which is secured acrank, c2, radially slotted to permit the adjustment of go the bending operation.

with a system of levers, whose connection and arrangement vwill presently be described.

Two pressure-bars, I I, having their inner ends separated by a shortinterval, are arranged in the same horizontal line beneath and in the plane of a former-block, J, secured by bolts to the upright stanchion A, just below the guide E. The inner ends of the pressure-bars I are separated by a short interval, and upon them rests the bending-strap s, which is a baud of vspring-steel extending across between the Apressure-13ans I and longitudinally each way about half their length, and secured to the Vpressure-bars by retaining-bolts near its ends,

thus connecting the pressure-bars longitudi- 'nally and forming a surface on which the stave or piece of wood to be bent is placed to under- The pressure-bars are supported at their contiguous ends by short legs t' i bolted thereto, which project downward approximatelyat ri ghtan gles and restin curved guideways l Z formed in the upper surface of a block, L, which rests upon the tableB beneath the former-block. The lower ends of the legs t' i are preferably provided with friction-rollers, as shown. The Outer ends of the pressurebars are suspended by the links H H and the systems of levers before referred to, which are similar for the two bars. Each system consists of two levers, the lirst ot' which is bent to form a right-angled bell-crank, M, pivoted at or nea-r its apex to the pressure-bar I, and connected at the extremity of its short arm with a block, m, arranged to slide upon the surface of the bending-strap s and form, with its corresponding member, the end clamps for the stave undergoing' the bending operation. The extremity of the long arm ot' the lever M is pivoted to and between the bearing-pivots of a second lever, N, whose inner extremity'is supported by a short link, a, depending from the pressurebar I, and whose outer extremity is pivoted to Ioo ISi

the main link H, before described. The levers M N and links H and n are duplicated in each system, one set being attached to cach side ot' the pressure-bar, clamping-block, and horizontal arm G, as shown in Fig. 2, and both pressure-bars are provided with the same operating mechanism.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in the drawings, the stave or piece of wood K, suitably steamed or dampened, is placed upon the bending-strap s and held up against the former-block J by a foot-clamp consisting ot a vertical bar, O, moving in guides upon thetrame and through a perforation in the block L, and actuated by a foot-lever, P, below. As the crank-shaft C rotates and the cross-head F is drawn upward the pull of the links H through the levers N and M rst causes the blocks m to move toward each other until stopped by the stave K, thus clamping it securely longitudinally. The effect ot' the pull is then felt by the pressure-bars I I, whose outer ends begin to rise; but as the pressure-bars change position the legs i", by which their forward ends are supported, also change their position and travel outward in their guideways Z I, which are. so formed that in the described movement ot' the legs t' the inner ends ot the pressure-bars move upward toward the formerblock carrying the bending-strap and compress the stave closely against the curved surface of the block.

It will be observed that in the action ofthe levers the ei'ect is distributed between moving the end clamps, m, forward, and the pressurebars I upward and outward-au arrangement which prevents so great a pressure upon the end clamps as to upset the ends of the stave, yet maintains sufiicient to prevent undue stretching of the outer fibers of the wood. In this operation the bending-strap s bends and follows up the stave K, which it hugs closely, and compresses it against the former-block, at the same time forming a support for the outer bers, preventing slivering, while the pressure of the end clamps prevents the stretching and rupture ofthe fibers.

In the practical use of my improved machine the ordinary waste and loss experienced from breakage are entirely prevented, and a great economy in the actual result is thus cffected.

The levers N and links n might be dispensed with, and the links H connected directly to the long arm of the levers M, which could be extended to obtain the necessary leverage; but the arrangement shown is preferable.

In bending staves the insertion and removal of a stave can be readily accomplished at each revolution of the crank c2 without the necessity of skilled labor in so doing. The capacity of the machine is therefore only limited by its driving-speed and the convenient supply ot material to the operator.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a wood-bending machine, in combination with its former-block, two pressure-bars, supporting and actuating a bending-strip, said bars being arranged normally in the same line beneath the former-block in suitable guides at their inner ends, and carrying clamping-blocks arranged to move horizontally upon the strap, and levers connected to the pressure-bars and clamping-blocks, and adapted, by the application oi' power, to clamp the ends of the material to be bent under a self-adjustin g pressure, and by the upward movement ofthe pressurehars to bend the material around the formerblock, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a wood-bending 1nachine, of the former-block with the pressurebars I, the arms supported in guides and arranged to support the inner ends of the presserbars, the bending-strapssecured to the presserbars, the levers M, pivotcd to said bars and to the sliding clamping-blocks m, and to the levers N, that are pivotcd at one end to links that are pivotcd to the pressure-bars, and at their opposite ends pivotcd to the links H, the said levers that are pivotcd to the clampingblocks being also pivotcd to the levers'which are pivotcd to the links, all ot' said members being constructed and adapted for operation substantially as described. Y

3. 'lhe pressure-bars I, provided with end arms, t', and meansfor theirupward movement, in combination with the block L, provided with guide-recesses l, or equivalent means of guiding the forward ends of the pressure-bars, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a wood-bending machine, of the supporting-frame Awith the former-block, the vertically-reciprocating crosshead F, the arm G, the links H, the pressurebars l I, the bending-strap secured to said bars, and the arms i secured to the presser-bars, and supported at their lower ends in guides, substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADAM LUCKHAUPT.

Witnesses FRANK J. FISHER, R. lt. MARBLE.

IOO

IOS

IIO 

